Police are cracking down on jaywalking to combat the spike in pedestrian fatalities.

“We want people to realize it’s not OK and it’s not safe,” Martinez said.

To encourage pedestrians to always use the crosswalk, Albuquerque police targeted several areas in town -- including the intersection of San Mateo Boulevard and Central Avenue. Police handed out 12 jaywalking citations in a single day at the intersection.

“We concentrated on areas we have had previous pedestrian-involved crashes or high rates of pedestrian citations or violations,” Martinez said.

Police said most people are afraid of getting a ticket for a traffic violation, but pedestrian-fatality data show there is not the same respect for jaywalking violations.

“Quite often, pedestrians are not following their end of the bargain,” Martinez said. “They are not following the laws that apply to those pedestrians walking on the roadway.”